Authorities in the East African country of Eritrea have conducted another
spate of raids against evangelical Christians. On Tuesday, March 22,
authorities from the National Security Office closed down the Semhare
Graphics Printing Press, a private company in Asmara that publishes
Christian literature. Demoze Afwerki, vice manager of the Housing and
Commerce Bank of Eritrea and an active member of the Full Gospel Church, was
arrested on Friday, March 18, and jailed at Wongel Mermera where other
evangelicals -- including Full Gospel Church Pastor Kidane Weldou -- are
believed to be incarcerated. Both Weldou and Afwerki sit on the executive
committee of Gideons International in Eritrea. Police also raided a private
home in Assab on Wednesday, March 9, and arrested 10 members of the Kale
Hiwot (Word of Life) Church while they worshiped together. The 10 remain
jailed at the Assab police station with no official charges filed against
them. (Compass)

DETERIORATING POLITICAL SITUATION IN BELARUS CONCERNS BELIEVERS

Christians are asking believers around the world to pray about the situation
in Belarus where unrest in the eastern European country could lead to a
revolution. New reports indicate that Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko
is ruling the country with an "iron fist," although he denies that he is
facing a widespread revolt. Sergey Rakhuba of Russian Ministries says many
people are unhappy about the country's political situation. "Churches
especially are under serious threat because local enforcement agencies --
like police and former KGB -- threaten local churches not to go into
(ministry) actively, and they force them to support the current regime," he
said. "There is a very strong opposition in Belarus -- a lot stronger than
it was in Georgia or Kyrgyzstan. And this opposition is very well prepared
[to go to] the next step [and that could mean bloodshed]. Christians are not
allowed to do any evangelism -- any open-air activities. They're not allowed
to go outside their walls. And, interestingly this is the same way that it
was in the [former] Soviet Union." He added that Christians need support and
encouragement from believers worldwide. "They're not going to give up,"
Rakhuba said. "They will continue their ministry despite the political
situation. There is still a tremendous openness to the gospel, and we would
like to continue supporting the national church." (Mission Network News)

SWORD-WIELDING MAN KILLS WOMAN, INJURES 3 AT CHURCH IN GERMANY

A man wielding a sword killed a 43-year-old woman and injured at least three
other people as they worshiped in a Tamil church in Germany the afternoon of
Sunday, April 3. The perpetrator cut off the hand of one of the victims at
the scene which police described as a "bloodbath." One 25-year-old man who
is thought to be from the local Tamil community was arrested. Police said
the crime was not politically motivated and was probably prompted by the
attacker's "personal problems." About 65 people -- half of them children --
are believed to have been in the church at the time. Tamils are a
predominantly Hindu minority in Sri Lanka and southern India. (IDEA/British
Broadcasting Corporation)

BILLY GRAHAM LAUDS POPE FOR PROMOTING MORALITY, PEACE WORLDWIDE

Evangelist Billy Graham said that Pope John Paul II was "unquestionably the
most influential voice for morality and peace in the world during the last
100 years." The pope died in Rome Saturday, April 2, at the age of 84 after
leading the world's 1 billion Roman Catholics for the past 26 years. "His
extraordinary gifts, his strong Catholic faith and his experience of human
tyranny and suffering in his native Poland all shaped him," Graham said.
"Yet he was respected by men and women from every conceivable background
across the world. He was truly one of those rare individuals whose legacy
will endure long after he has gone. . . . He was convinced that the complex
problems of our world are ultimately moral and spiritual in nature, and only
Christ can set us free from the shackles of sin and greed and violence. His
courage and perseverance in the face of advancing age and illness were an
inspiration to millions -- including me." Graham said he has been invited to
attend the pope's funeral, but he can't attend for health reasons. "I have
asked a member of my family and one of my long-time associates to represent
me at that service," he said. (Assist News Service/Billy Graham Evangelistic
Association)

WORLD RELIEF NAMES NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, PRESIDENT

World Relief announced Monday, March 28, that it had unanimously elected
Sammy Mah as the organization's chief executive officer and president. "We
were seeking a person of humility and fierce resolve, a Jesus
servant-leader, and we believe we found those qualities in Mr. Mah," said
Board Chairman Dr. Gordon MacDonald. Mah, a first-generation Asian American,
is a proven and successful business leader, father, husband and active
churchman. Mah received a master's degree in business administration from
the University of Michigan and has been an executive with General Motors for
27 years. He and his wife, Lorelei, have been active in their Michigan
church, particularly with the youth group, and they have been involved in
mission trips to many parts of the world. (Assist News Service)

WEBSITE CREATES ONLINE 'RADIO STATION' FOR HOME-SCHOOLERS

Learning by Grace, a provider of online learning resources for
home-schoolers, has created a Christian "radio station" for students.
RadioGrace.org provides four distinct channels of Christian music -- praise
and worship, gospel, rock, and contemporary. Students and parents can
program the music channels by e-mailing their comments to the station.
Although the service targets home-schoolers, RadioGrace.org is available at
no cost to all Internet users worldwide. "We see RadioGrace as a tool for
spreading multimedia Christian content around the globe, not just streaming
audio," said Ralf Augstroze, vice president of solutions development.
(AgapePress)